mobile payment

The partnership between Starbucks and Square's mobile payment system that began in 2012 is coming to an end, according to comments from the two companies. While Starbucks was a key partner when Square launched its Wallet app, allowing customers one way to quickly pay for their coffee with their smartphones, the payment company is retiring Wallet and replacing it with Square Order, carrying over some of the key features from Wallet. Unfortunately, a Starbucks spokesperson has said that they have no plans to begin accepting Square Order.

Additional information right on the heels of the news about Staples' hacking reveals that 45% of Americans have experienced their credit card information being stolen. Not their physical card being lost or stolen, but card details being compromised as a result of the growing number of data breaches at various retailers this year. Office supply store Staples has just admitted to hackers making off with data from over 1 million cards, adding them to a list of companies to fall victim to cybercrime, including Target and Home Depot.

Apple Pay hasn’t been around long, but new research shows those who use it are doing so in a pretty significant way. Via mobile payments research firm ITG, we find that Apple Pay accounted for 1.7% of all digital payment transactions in the month of November. Those using Apple Pay have their favorite spots, too. Whole Foods, Walgreens, and McDonald’s all found themselves with the most Apple Pay usage, suggesting we’re really fond of properly sourced grass-fed Australian New York strip steak, but not afraid of chicken from suspect origin.

Apple Pay may cover 90% of credit volume here in the United States, but overseas the mobile payment service is still missing. That could change, though, as two Apple job listings point to their intent to make electronic point-of-sale transactions a big thing the world over. In London, Apple is looking for someone to spearhead their European rollout for Apple Pay, while a Shanghai based opening suggests Apple is cannonballing into the Chinese market. A timeframe for the respective rollouts for Apple Pay was not noted.

Samsung has their own experience shops inside of Best Buy stores across the nation, and now they’re looking to get even more proprietary. A new report details that Samsung is trying to get in on the mobile payment game, and is already in talks with a company that can get them there. In what is a pretty obvious Apple Pay ripoff, Samsung and startup LoopPay are discussing a method for secure NFC payments via Samsung devices. The mobile payment startup already has hardware on the market.

Apple Pay is wildly popular, with the secure form of mobile payment enjoying nothing but praise and adulation at every turn. On launch, Apple had some significant partnerships with the likes of Citibank and Chase. Mobile payment processors like Square are readying their hardware to support Apple Pay, and various startups are already doing just that. Now, Apple has announced they’ve got even more support, and 90% of the credit purchase by volume int he US can now be accomplished using Apple Pay.

Square is an existing point-of-sale platform that allows customers to use their credit card at mid-tier shops everywhere. It also provides a really solid solution for mom-and-pop shops to accept credit cards, and offers some attractive processing fees. Apple Pay and the incoming EMV cards will be a shift in the credit industry, and are two modes of payments Square doesn’t support. A new startup — ShopKeep — does, and wants to eat Square’s lunch by offering their tech free to new customers.

Yesterday, Starbucks announced they’d be launching a program in Portland to allow customers to order and pay in the app. Being a resident of Portland, my immediate reaction was one of disbelief (we typically don’t get opportunities like this), then curiosity. Is ordering and paying for something in-app as good as it sounds, or would there be severe hiccups that would make it an experience to forget? To test Starbucks’ new program out, I ordered coffee. From my phone.

Apple Pay or Square? In certain instances, you’ll have to make that choice. You could get a few groceries from Whole Foods and use Apple Pay, or hit the farm-to-table market and pay with Square. It’s not direct competition, but not busting a credit card out is a handy option. Soon, you won’t even have to decide. In an interview with CNN, Square boss Jack Dorsey said his payment processing company will soon start accepting Apple Pay — but there’s a catch.

Google Wallet was, at one point, the hottest thing in mobile payment technology. You could pay for things using NFC, at least in theory. Poor support left it dormant, but the recent presence of Apple Pay is bringing it back to the mindset of users. Riding Apple Pay’s coattails, Google wants people to use Wallet; so much so, they’re paying you to find them new users. If you send a new user money via Google Wallet, you’ll get $5 in return.